Hot Start Continues As Wave Downs Cardinals

Hot-Start-Continues-As-Wave-Downs-CardinalsThe Calumet College of St. Joseph continued their season opening five game road trip Wednesday evening as they took on USCAA school Andrews University. The Cardinals, being one of the top teams in their league, were no match for the Crimson and Gray, as Ryan Sexson's squad rolled to a 82-59 victory in Berrien Springs, Mich.

The Wave weren't messing around, and dominated play as soon as the ball was tipped. CCSJ shot .552 from the field in the first half, hitting 16 of the 29 shots that they took. The Crimson Wave were about as deadly from three-point land as well, hitting exactly half of their 14 shots. CCSJ's success on the offensive side of the ball, coupled with smothering defense, allowed the Wave to take a 45-21 lead into the half.

The second half of the game featured a more composed Cardinals effort, outscoring the Wave 39-38 in the final 20 minutes. This only reduced the total point margin in the losing effort, as the Wave continued to shoot the ball well. While the percentages were down from the red hot first half, the team still shot .459 from the field for the game, and .464 from beyond the arc. All of these factors contributed to the biggest win of the season for the Wave, beating AU by 23 points.

Anthony Cole (JR/Gary, Ind.) led all CCSJ (3-0, 0-0 CCAC) scores with 14 points, while Joe Larry (JR/Chicago, Ill.) pitched in 12. Jose Ramirez (SR/Chicago, Ill.), fresh off his Jaguars Tip-Off Classic MVP, brought in six rebounds, and Michael Brooks (SR/Chicago, Ill.) dished out five assists. After the game, Coach Sexson raved about Cole and the things he does to contribute. "Anthony Cole was tremendous on both sides of the ball tonight. He does a lot of things that helps us win games."

Sexson was pleased with the team's performance, finally seeing the well-rounded effort he thought was missing throughout the first two games of the season. "I thought the guys did a nice job of being ready from the jump. Our defense was solid for most of the game, and we did a good job moving the ball against their zone."

With the win bringing them to 3-0 on the young season, the Crimson and Gray have now matched the best start in program history. The Wave also started off 3-0 back during the 2010-11 campaign. The difference so far between those two teams in the margin of victory. The 2010-11 team won their first three games by a total of 28 points. This year's club however has beaten their opponents by a total of 42.

Calumet will look to keep the streak going, having a few days off before their next matchup. That challenge will come against Moody Bible Institute Saturday afternoon in Chicago. Tip-off is slated for 3:00 pm.

For up-to-the-minute Crimson Wave sports news, including a full recap of the next game, visit us at ccsjathletics.com or download the CCSJ Athletics App on Google Play or the iTunes store. You can also follow CCSJ Athletics on social media on Facebook, @CCSJAthletics on Twitter and @crimsonwaveathletics on Instagram.